President Erdoğan’s Participation in the G20 Summit in Johannesburg
The G20 Leaders’ Summit, hosted by the Republic of South Africa under the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” began with an official welcoming ceremony. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the leaders of member countries at the NASREC Exhibition Center in Johannesburg, after which they entered the hall to attend the opening session.
Representing 85 percent of global economic output, 75 percent of world trade, and two-thirds of the planet’s population, the G20 leaders will, in this year’s three-session summit, discuss reforms that will shape the future of the global economy.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the necessity of strengthening international cooperation to build an inclusive economic system and called on member states to assume greater responsibility for the global economy. In his speech at the session titled “Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth That Leaves No One Behind,” Erdoğan underlined that reviving global trade requires deep-rooted international cooperation, new policy tools, and sustainable supply chains.
Referring to the United Nations Debt Report 2025, Erdoğan stated that in countries with a population of 3.4 billion, debt interest payments have surpassed spending on health and education. He stressed that Turkey supports a fair and equitable approach in debt restructuring processes, particularly for low-income countries.
He further noted that despite the global commitment to the principle of “Leave No One Behind,” which forms the basis of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, one in ten people worldwide still struggles with extreme poverty. Erdoğan pointed out that global development aid decreased by 9 percent in 2024 and is expected to decline by 17 percent in 2025, describing this as “a heavy loss for the African continent.” He added: “We represent an understanding in which no one sleeps full while their neighbor is hungry, and despite all negative conditions, we fulfill our responsibilities properly.”
Finally, Erdoğan announced that Turkey had increased its official development assistance from 6.8 billion dollars in 2023 to 7.4 billion dollars in 2024, but emphasized that this amount is not sufficient. He highlighted the importance of developing sustainable financing models, especially in less developed countries, and stated that activating local resources is an effective way to achieve this goal.
